Fake Fiji work permits 'quite widespread' but none slipped through: Immigration

Government is aware of fraudulent production of fake work permits overseas to be used in the Fijian workforce.

Permanent secretary for Immigration Aliki Salusalu yesterday confirmed that fraudulent Fiji work permits allegedly being circulated by bogus migration agents in India are “quite widespread”.

However, he said none had slipped past Fiji’s border checks.

Mr Salusalu was responding to a warning issued by the Minister for Public Enterprises, Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Culture, Heritage and Arts Charan Jeath Singh, who had urged Indian nationals to authenticate work permits with the Ministry of Immigration before travelling to Fiji.

Mr Salusalu confirmed that the fake visa approval document shared by Mr Singh did not match the Ministry of Immigration’s official format.

“It’s a fake one, it’s signed by somebody else,” Mr Salusalu said.

“When you look at the permit and you look at this one, you know straight away it’s fake.”

He said the Ministry of Immigration conducted three checks at the border:

• Comparing the document format and wording;
• Cross-checking details against the Immigration Border Management System (IBMS), and, where needed;

nRunning the document through a new forensic assessment machine installed in Nadi.

“None. We stopped it,” Mr Salusalu said, when asked if any fraudulent permit had allowed entry.

Overseas training

He said Fiji immigration officers received training in Australia and the United States to strengthen document forensic detection.

Mr Salusalu said holding a work permit did not guarantee entry, as officers still questioned arriving workers at the border.

Minister for Employment Agni Deo Singh said yesterday that India maintained a list of approved recruitment agents, who must deposit a $125,000 bond.

He urged employers to seek assistance from the Indian High Commission in Suva, which facilitated business-to-business requests for skilled workers